Why does Pop shortchange his own team?

[etbluffer]

Here's a question; Why does Pop continue to shortchange the Spurs when it comes to playing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs? Last week, he said no team wanted to play them. This week he said on a scale of 1 to 10, they were -5 on playing the them in the first round.
The HC of an NBA team needs to fire them up, and when the media asks about how you feel about playing a team, you don't have to say "WE CAN BEAT ANYONE, ESPECIALLY THE LAKERS," but you can say "WE WILL COMPETE AND PLAY OUR GAME, NO MATTER WHO WE PLAY IN THE FIRST ROUND. WE WILL BRING OUR BEST."
PLEASE POP! STOP SHORTCHANGING THIS TEAM. If they do play the Lakers in the first round, it would not be a shock if the 8th seeded team is playing in the second round! Go Spurs! :flag:

[raspsa]

Pop has a unique wit.. you need to get used to him.

[DPG21920]

Because Pop is not a fan. He is a coach that understands the reality of the situation. He did not say the Spurs could not beat the Lakers. He said they are last on the list of teams he wants to face in the first round.

He is not like people around here that for some reason like to argue back and forth about who wants to face whom. They like to tell themselves the "Lakers don't want to face the Spurs".

And? The Lakers don't care. They will face who they will face and it will be settled on the court. All of this banter means nothing.

[DesignatedT]

cia pop.

reverse-psychology.

giving them compliments could be the right thing to do in this situation IMO. don't need to give them any extra fuel. even by saying something as easy as "we dont care who we play"

[NZ Spurs]

Its called humility.

[poop]

Pop is gona be saying now..'look guys, we cant beat the Lakers. you fucked up. we're dead meat'
then in a nationally televised interview' we drew the Lakers, the best team in basketball, what chance do we have'

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't buy the notion that Pop uses reverse psychology or uses the media to motivate his team..

He only shortchanges the Spurs and our players when it involves the Lakers..I believe he genuinely fears the Lakers..the Gasol trade fucked with his mind..

[ohmwrecker]

I was going to say, "first person to say CIA Pop gets a kick in the nuts". I guess I need to be faster.

[spursfan09]

They all fear the Lakers. The Spurs could beat them, but they won't due to the mental block that won't allow them to have confidence against them.

[TD 21]

I don't buy the notion that Pop uses reverse psychology or uses the media to motivate his team..

He only shortchanges the Spurs and our players when it involves the Lakers..I believe he genuinely fears the Lakers..the Gasol trade fucked with his mind..

Even if he did, why would he admit to this publicly when he knows that it's a very real possibility that his team will draw them in round one? And if not then, sometime down the line, should they both advance. Nobody in sports says this type of thing, because then what happens if you get the team in question? Are you going to tell the media before the series, "we can't beat this team" or "we're scared of them"? Obviously, no one would say that.

Pop's been around a long time, he knows how this game works. He knows you're supposed to say "we don't care who we play, we'll be prepared" and "it's about us playing our best ball going into the playoffs". There is a method to his madness. -5? He's clearly screwing with the media. I don't know if this is reverse psychology to motivate the Spurs, who until the past game against the Lakers looked like they feared them, or if it's to lull the Lakers into a false sense of security, or a combination of both, but make no mistake, there is a reason he's doing this.

Of course he'd more than likely prefer not to play them in round one. Do I think he fears them though? Absolutely not. Why would he? There would be no pressure to beat them, yet the Spurs might be capable of doing so and have looked like the better team for some time now.

The Spurs were built to beat the Lakers. You can argue whether they have the personnel to do so, but that was the intention when this team was put together. Deep down, I think Pop wants to know if the Spurs have what it takes to beat the Lakers and/or how far away they might be. The Spurs don't have a handful of years to topple them again (or anyone of significance) and he knows it. They need to find out where they stand with this team both now and going into the off season.

Sure, it's great for ownership just to win a round and get more home playoff dates, but the Spurs (players and coaches) don't play just for that. They could careless whether they win a round or two. At the end of the day, it's championship or bust for this group and at some point, if this team is going to take a run, they're more than likely going to have to go through the Lakers.

[Juanobili]

He's telling the media what they DON'T want to hear. The media wants Pop to say "We don't care who we play" or "The West is very tough, anyone can come out of it."

[OrEmuN]

I do not know if Pop shortchanges the team or just be humble or just being CIA but Lakers at this stage is way way off form. If they are able to wake up and survive in the 1st round, they should be a serious contender. Otherwise, see example: Dallas v Golden State...

[The Truth #6]

PJ usually owns Pop. Not sure why Pop is so upfront about this. Pop is a straight shooter for the most part so I guess he's being honest. I can't imagine this motivates the team.

[alchemist]

:lol What's Pop supposed to say? "We gon bully these niggas"?

He plays the media and injects some truth at the same time.

[Obstructed_View]

I'm perfectly happy with Pop saying these things. I don't think there's a chance in hell he actually believes them, and I'm as sure as I can be that he's not saying those things to his team.

[DAF86]

The Lakers don't care. They will face who they will face and it will be settled on the court. All of this banter means nothing.

Weren't you one of those saying that the Lakers tanked to avoid the Blazers?

[EricB]

You wouldn't rather play Denver than LA?

[DPG21920]

Weren't you one of those saying that the Lakers tanked to avoid the Blazers?

I was joking w laker fan for saying that. How could you not pick up on that? :lol

[MoSpur]

I would much rather Denver in the First Round than the Lakers. The Lakers have a guy named Kobe and a coach named Phil Jackson who are very, very good.

[Jimcs50]

Pop never sugarcoats anything. He calls it like it is, it is a fact that not one team in the west wants to play LA in playoffs in first round.

One reason, besides wanting to win the championship, and playing LA in round one decreases that chance, is revenue. Revenue is important and only getting 2-3 home games costs the team a lot of money. There is a great chance, that if any team plays LA in round 1, they will only get 2-3 games to make money.

LA is not playingtheir best ball right now( 4 wins in last 10), so on paper it looks like the time to play them is early, before they get their mojo bac. However, I've seen too many Phil Jackson teams look disinterested or distracted at the end of regular season, when they have nothing to play for(HC locked up)only to turn it up when the real season starts up and start dominating.

That being said, I think I'd rather play LA over Utah.

[DAF86]

I was joking w laker fan for saying that. How could you not pick up on that? :lol

'Cause is hard to get sarcasm on the internet unless you make an absolute ridiculous comment or put a rolleyes smily next to it which I don't think you did, or at least I didn't see it.

[nkdlunch]

a little bit of everything. CIA Pop, reverse psychology, realistic and just fucking win spursfans heads

[admiralsnackbar]

Its called humility.
Bingo.

[Dex]

As other people have said, Pop isn't implying that the Spurs can't beat the Lakers. He's just stating the obvious fact that he'd like to avoid playing them as long as possible, and if at all possible.

Just look at the statistics. In the NBA, throughout 67 years and 536 First Round Series, only three 8th seeded teams have managed to defeat the top seed (1994 Nuggets, 1999 Knicks, and 2007 Warriors). That's an astonishing 0.5%.

Of those three, only the Warriors were able to do so in a Best-of-7 series.

I don't think it matters to Pop if its the Lakers or the Mavericks or whoever in the top spot. You try to avoid playing the first seed at all costs, because at that point, even history is against you.

[Whisky Dog]

No need to exaggerate so much because it could have a negative impact on the team's mindset. Not guys like Tim, Manu, or TP who have been through the wars and aren't afraid of the situation, but guys like Bonner, Mason, Hill, Blair, Jeff who are either very young or have proven shaky boarderline chokers in playoffs past. The way to get those guys to relax and play their game isn't to tell thus this stuff. It's a defeatest statement and isn't helpful. Should never have been said.

[DPG21920]

'Cause is hard to get sarcasm on the internet unless you make an absolute ridiculous comment or put a rolleyes smily next to it which I don't think you did, or at least I didn't see it.

Tanking a game by la isn't a ridiculous statement :lol?

[boutons_deux]

The only reason I'd delay the Lakers to after the 1st round is the absence of George.

Other than, as Pop always says, we have to go through everybody anyway.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

If we play them in the first round then that series will be over before the Hollywood premiere of Iron Man 2. Pop's the sort of guy who never misses a chance to walk the red carpet at those kind of events.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

I would much rather Denver in the First Round than the Lakers. The Lakers have a guy named Kobe and a coach named Phil Jackson who are very, very good.


Kobe WAS very, very good...he is more of a good player now but nowhere the superstar level several years ago. Phil Jackson is so overrated. With as much talent as he has had in all of years of coaching he should have numerous championships. So much talk about the Lakers having length, talent on this years squad and they have looked average at best the last half of the season. This Lakers squad is not even favored to win championship.

I think the Spurs have about same as odds as beating Lakers as they do anyone else.

[Whisky Dog]

The only reason I'd delay the Lakers to after the 1st round is the absence of George.

Other than, as Pop always says, we have to go through everybody anyway.

The 2007 NBA Champs trophy says differently.

[in2deep]

Kobe will bring it in the playoffs. WHy r ppl so naive?

[m33p0]

If we play them in the first round then that series will be over before the Hollywood premiere of Iron Man 2. Pop's the sort of guy who never misses a chance to walk the red carpet at those kind of events.

i never knew that about him

[m33p0]

The 2007 NBA Champs trophy says differently.
jerry stackhouse, is that you?

[Whisky Dog]

jerry stackhouse, is that you?

Did the Warriors matchup advantage over the Mavs not help us out by eliminating the team with the biggest matchup advantage over the Spurs? The best case scenario for the Spurs this year would be for both Utah and the Lakers to be knocked out before the Spurs have to play them.

[m33p0]

Did the Warriors matchup advantage over the Mavs not help us out by eliminating the team with the biggest matchup advantage over the Spurs? The best case scenario for the Spurs this year would be for both Utah and the Lakers to be knocked out before the Spurs have to play them.

jerry stackhouse: "They didn't go through us." -2007
remember those words? wasn't the spurs fault they didn't show up.

[EricB]

Stackhouse is a mongoloid who should be ignored....

[Whisky Dog]

jerry stackhouse: "They didn't go through us." -2007
remember those words? wasn't the spurs fault they didn't show up.

Yeah, and that's because Dallas bit the dust early.

Point is you don't have to go through everybody. You hve 4 opponents to the title, and sometimes as in '07 the matchups shape up favorably for you. Best case for Spurs is LA and Utah bite the dust before the Spurs play them.

[4down]

as far as Pop praising the Lakers, it reminds me of Rocky, when asked if he had anything derogatory to say about Apollo Creed - he said "Derogatory?... Yeah, he's great"